Dundee started their pre-season campaign with a 2-1 victory away to Dumbarton. Cammy Kerr put the Dee ahead midway through the first half. Gregor Buchanan equalised after half time but Kerr’s second goal secured the win in a game that was highly competitive with some surprisingly fierce tackling for a friendly.
The match got off to an energetic start with plenty of brisk challenges and as many fouls. Neither keeper had much to worry about as both teams tried to find their rhythm. Yordo Teijsse had the first half chance, launching himself at Kosta Gadzhalov’s long ball but his header flew straight at the keeper. Mark O’Hara, who had a composed debut in central midfield, then drove a 25 yard free kick narrowly wide.
The Dark Blues went ahead after 20 minutes when Darren O’Dea’s raking 40 yard pass to the corner of the penalty area lured keeper Ewings from his goal, only for Cammy KERR to sprint in from the wing, nudge the ball past the keeper and tuck it into the empty goal.
Dundee were now on top and threatening to add to their lead. Danny Williams cut in from the right and Ewings saved his fierce 20 yard shot.
Dumbarton had their best spell of the first half in the few minutes before the break when they should have equalised. Robert Thomson ran clear after neatly swapping passes with Andrew Stirling, but he blasted his shot high over the bar.
Dumbarton’s trialist centre back went close with a header from Stevenson’s free kick early in the second half, but Dundee quickly eased back into control. Kerr won the ball on the right, and Rory Loy glanced a header past the far post from his dangerous cross. A lovely sweeping move the full length of the pitch ended with a great tackle by Barr on O’Hara as the Dee newcomer was about to shoot.
The game then entered a scrappy spell with both teams struggling to get through the opposing defences. The Sons were first to get their game together and put the Dundee defence under some sustained pressure. Centre back Gregor Buchanan’s header from a corner was deflected just past the post by a defender’s head. There was no escape for the Dee two minutes later when BUCHANAN rose again to power a header from another corner past David Mitchell.
The equaliser sparked the Dark Blues into life and they stepped up a couple of gears as they hunted a winner. Greg Stewart and Craig Wighton worked a short corner, and Rory Loy’s shot on the turn was saved on the line by Brown’s feet. Following another corner Wighton had a shot from 12 yards charged down. Wighton’s fine run from deep opened up the defence, but O’Hara scooped his shot over the bar from 18 yards.
Calvin Colquhoun was desperately unlucky, lasting only two minutes after coming on. He was felled by a bad foul, and after receiving lengthy treatment was carried off on a stretcher. Another bad foul on Stewart gave the Dark Blues a free kick on the right. Stewart took the kick himself, sweeping the ball over the defence for KERR, now playing in central midfield, to race in and score with a far post header.
Darren O’Dea picked up a booking for a late tackle as the match became increasingly edgy. However, there were no further incidents to annoy the referee and Dundee ended the match in charge, looking for a third goal.
Dumbarton FC 4-1-4-1
Ewings (Brown half time)
Pettigrew, Buchanan, Wright (Trialist half time), Docherty (Trialist 82)
Barr
Smith (Trialist 65), Stevenson (Trialist 76), Gallagher (Fleming half time), Stirling (McCallum 65)
Thomson (Trialist 65)
Unused subs: none/
Goal: Buchanan (69)
Booked: Trialist (foul on Colquhoun), Trialist (foul on Stewart)
Dundee FC 3-3-2-2
Bain (Mitchell half time)
Etxabeguren (Allan 65), Gadzhalov, O’Dea
Kerr, Harkins (Colquhoun 75 (Black 78)), Holt (Dryden 78)
O’Hara, Ross (Wighton 58)
Teijsse (Loy half time), Williams (Stewart half time)
Unused subs: none.
Goal: Kerr (20, 82)
Booked: O’Dea (foul on Fleming)
Referee: Nick Walsh. Assistants: Sean Carr, Martin McCarthy.
Report: James Christie
